Wheel



Jan. 25, 1944. .1 H. HUNT ET AL.

WHEEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 2l, 1942 Patented Jan. 25, 1944(OFFICE WHEEL .J Harold Hunt, Lansing, andrHarry T. Woolson,

Detroit, Mich., assignors'toMctor Wheel CorporationyLansing," Mieh., acorporation ot Michigan,and Chrysler Corporation, Detroit,` Mich., accrpox'ationof Delaware y Application. January 2,1, 19.42,' Serial`1511;."421550 3 Claims.

This invention relates to Wheels suitablefcr use with vehicles employinga caterpillar drive. More specigcally, it relates 'to bogey and/or idlerwheels for such vehicles.

The principalobject of the invention is to provide a wheel of thecharacter mentioned which can be quickly and economically manufactured.This object is attained by utilizing a minimum number of parts and soarranging ythe parts in the nal assembly that the permanent; attachmentof the parts together can be conveniently effected after such nalassembly.

Another object of the invention isto provide a Wheel which is of lightweight but :of great strength. This object is attained in part 'byutilizing in each Vwheel a pair of pressed metal load carrying disks ofrelatively light gauge and so arranging the disks between-the hubaridthe rimas to provide for a truss-likelstructure which offers greatresistance to load and `shock .in all directions.

Other objects will become apparent fromithe following description, whenread in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 isa sectional view ofa wheel embodying our invention, taken onsubstantially the line I-I Vof Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the wheel Vshown `in Figure1;

AFigure 3 is a fragmentary viewv of one vof'tl'ie' wheel disks taken onthe line 3--3 .ofFigure l;

Figure 4 isa sectional view of aslightly-modified! form of the Wheel,taken on .thefline -4-4 of Figure 5; and

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the wheel shown in Figure 4.

VThe wheel shown in Figures 1, 2'and 3 consists or" a hub member III, arim -member Il, a pair of pressed metal load carrying disks I2, andmeans for securing-these parts together'.` The outer surface of the rimmember II is adapted toreceivea tire I4 and felly I5, as shown in dottedlines. AOne of the disks and the hub are formed to receive a pair ofgrease conduits I6, as shown in dotted lines. The tire, felly and greaseconduits are not a part of the wheel proper, but are attached theretofor reasons which will be obvious.

The hub member I0 is of generally cylindrical shape and may comprise asteel casting. The hub is formed to provide an internal congurationwhich will cooperate with an axle and bearings, not shown. The externalsurface of the hub is formed to provide a pair of axially spaced apartseats II and I8 adjacent its opposite ends.

.external surface of rim member I1 is formed to provide a seat for atire felly. The internal surface-oi the rim is formed. to provide vapair of axially spaced. apart seats' I9 and 2D located ad- `iacent'theopposite ends thereof. The pressed metal loadicarrying disks I2 are ofgenerally frusta-conical formation, as shown. Each disk is provided with.a central opening and with laterally extending flanges `2| and`22 atitsinner Aand outer peripheries. vAt its o uter periphery, each diskisprovided with la plurality 0i circumferentiallyfspaced.apart radialcorrugations or depressions 23 which are of a maximum depth'slightlyless than the Width `oi liange 22 (see Figure 3). The corrugations arehere shown as being of a length between one-third and one-half of the`radial extent of the disk. The corrugations 23 arel inclined in theopposite direction'to the inclination of the conical disk. Thus, .thecorrugations serve to reinforce the disk in-thelregion of` its outerperiphery.

-The four parts of :the wheel (hub, rim and disks) arelassembledas shownin Figure l. The seats Il and Ion the hub I0- are spaced fartherapart-thanare thelseatstgand 20 on the rim II. "Thus, ,the disks-I2incline axially inwardly from thehu-b to the rim. The :flanges 2| and 22on'the disks I2-are formedto extend -axially outwardly `wl'ienthe disksare assembled with the .huband :ri-m. Thus, convenient access to the.flanges is afforded, for the purpose of permanentlyattaching theflanges' totheir seats.

`The vflanges are lsecured to their respective seats primarily 'byVcontinuous annular Welds 24 and V25 which integrally join the freeedges of the flanges to their seats, `If desired, rivets 26 may be:-employed for securing the anges 22 to therimll.

disks i2. are-formed of a suitable size to provide a press lt betweenthe flanges 2I F and 22 and their respective seats. other advantages,this serves to securely hold the parts in assembled relation during theWelding and riveting operations.

From an examination of Figure 1, it will be apparent that the wheel isso assembled as to provide a truss or girder-like construction whichprovides great resistance to load and shock, even though the disks I2 beformed of relatively light gauge metal. By arranging the diskswiththerseats on the hub spaced farther apart thantheir' In addition to;

The parts are so constructed that they can each e be easily formedseparately and quickly assembled by pressing the disk fianges intoengagement They can be permanentlyse-y with their seats. curedtogetlier, after final assembly., by forming.

a weld between the outer edge of 'each flange and-z its seat. outside ofthe wheel.

be applied, if utilized, from the outside of the wheel after finalassembly. f

. The modified form of Wheel shown in Figures 4 and 5 is generallysimilar to the wheel justl described. The principal difference residesin 'the formvof hub employed and the use oftwov annuli securedto theinner surface vof the ri'm adjacent its edges.

In this modification, the hub 30 is of generally cylindrical form but isof slightly larger diam-.- eter at one end. Thus, the'A two loadcarrying disks 3| and 32 are likewise of different diam'- eters. Disks3| and 32 are formed of pressed metal and are positionedY between thehub'30 and This can be done entirely from the`- I Likewise, the rivetscanl The wheel of Figures 1, 2 and 3 is especially suited for use as abogey wheel; and the wheel of Figures 4 and 5 is especially suited foruse as an idler wheel. It will be obvious, however, that the two wheelsare essentially the same and that either may be used for either purpose.

. 4'Ilie scope ,of the inventionV is indicated in the appended claims, Y

We claim:

j 11. A wheel of the character defined comprising a rim member havingaxially spaced apart annu- 'lar seats on its inner surface near theopposite ends thereof, a hub member disposed within and inponcentricrelation to said rim member and having axially spaced apart annularseats on its outer surface near the opposite ends thereof, a

pair of pressed metal annular disks of frustoi conical form havingflanges at their inner and a rim 33.,V Hub 30 is provided with seats 34and 35 on its outer surface near its opposite ends.

Rim 33 is provided `with *seats 36 and 31 on its` inner surface near itsopposite ends. Disk .'51 is provided with flanges 38 and 39 at'itsinnerand outer peripheries; and disk 32 is provided with iiang'es 40 and4l at its inner and outer peripheries.

The wheel of Figures 4 land 5is assembled pressing the anges on thedisks into engagementl withtheir respective seats o n the rim andghub.

The parts Vthus assembled are secured togetherA by welds 42 andv v43integrally joining the outer,.

edges of the disk flanges to their respective seats.

Rivets 44 may be employed for connecting the l disk fianges to the rim,if desired.v

An annulus 4,5- of generally L-shapedfcross-n sectionl and of limitedradial extent is secured to each of the seats on the inner surface ofthe -rimv 33 axiallyY outwardly ofthe disk flanges by welds 46 and41'integrally uniting the opposite'ends of one leg of the annulus to therim seat. -By

reason of the limited radial extent of annulusV 45, it will be apparentthatthe welds 46 andv41 can be conveniently formed from the outside ofthe `wheel after the annulus vhas been installed outer peripheries, eachof said disks being provided with a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced apart corrugations at its outer periphery which extend into theouter peripheral flange and which are inclined in the opposite directionto the inclination of the cone of-the disk, the radial extent of saidcorrugations being approximately between one-third and one-half of theradial extent of the disk, each of said disks being disposed betweensaid hub and rim member with the anges at the inner and outerperipheries extending axially outwardly and engaging the seats at thecorresponding end ofthe rim andhub members, and` means for permanentlysecuring each of said flanges to its seat.

2.. A wheel of the character defined comprising having axially spacedapart annular seats on its` outer surface near the opposite endsthereof, a

pair of pressed metal annular disks of frusto-convical form having angesat their inner and outer peripheries, each of said disks being provided.with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apartc orrugations at itsouter 'periphery which extend intothe outer peripheral iiange and vwhichare inclined in the opposite direction to the inclination ofthe cone ofthe disk, the radial extent of said corrugations being at leastone-third of theradial extent of the disk, each of said disks beingdisposedy between said hub and rim member with the flange at the innerand outer peripheries extending axially outwardly and engaging the seatsat the corresponding end of the rim and hub members, and means forpermanently securing each of said flanges to its seat. 1

3. Awheel as defined in claim 1 wherein the maximum axial depth of thecorrugations of each disk is slightly less than the width of the iiangeat the outer periphery of the disk.

JHAROLD HUNT. y HARRY T. WOoLSoN. ,f

